82 Kitchener Road, Waiuku
View on mapDomains: Ngā Akatoro | Below the threshold for quality | Above the threshold for quality | ||
The learner and their learning He Whāriki Motuhake | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
Collaborative professional learning and development builds knowledge and capability Whakangungu Ngaio | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
Leadership fosters collaboration and improvement Kaihautū | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
Stewardship through effective governance and management Te Whakaruruhau | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
For an explanation of the judgement terms used and of the evaluation process please refer to the last page of this report. These judgements are based on the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
| Children’s health and safety | Improvement required | Taking reasonable steps |
Akarangi | Quality Evaluations evaluate the extent to which early childhood services have the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most and Early Childhood Education (ECE) Improvement Framework (teacher led services) are the basis for making judgements about the quality of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Evaluations for improvement | Ngā Aronga Whai Hua is integrated across all of the above domains.
Waiuku Learning Space changed ownership in August 2023. The centre owner, who is also the centre manager, is actively involved in daily operations, leading curriculum and overseeing the largely qualified teaching team. Staffing has been maintained since the change of ownership. Children learn across two aged-based areas, with separate outdoor playgrounds. The centre vision is focused on supporting children’s active exploration, thinking and reasoning. The philosophy values respect, honesty and integrity, as well as acknowledging whānau, their beliefs and aspirations.
The 2022 ERO report identified two key next steps. These next steps focused on increasing opportunities for children to hear and speak te reo, as well as increasing the use of the valued learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum within assessment and planning. Good progress has been made and is evidenced through internal evaluation and teachers’ professional growth documentation. An increased use of te reo Māori and whakataukī in planning and assessment documentation is also evident.
Leadership has invested in targeted professional learning opportunities for teachers to grow their cultural responsiveness and te reo Māori proficiency. As a result, leaders and teachers are becoming increasingly proficient in their use of te reo Māori and integration of te ao Māori into the curriculum. Good progress is evident in increasing the use of the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. Following intentional professional development, teachers now include, and track progress toward, learning outcomes identified in children’s learning plans.
Children experience a curriculum that responds to their growing interests and capabilities.
Children’s learning is supported by teachers increasingly demonstrating professional knowledge and understanding in responding to children’s needs.
The service owner has embedded systems, processes and practices that focus on improving provision for children.
Children’s learning and wellbeing are considered in resourcing and decision making.
Before the review, the staff and management of Waiuku Learning Space completed and ERO Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they Select ‘have’ or ‘have not’ taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s system for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children’s health and safety:
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Waiuku Learning Space will include the following actions in its quality improvement planning:
Activities undertaken by the evaluation team
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Further information about how ERO evaluates early childhood services is available here.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
11 September 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Waiuku Learning Space |
| Profile Number | 25390 |
| Location | Waiuku, Auckland |
| Service Type | Education and care service |
| Number licenced for | 40 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
Ethnic composition Using rounded percentages | Māori 50%; NZ European/Pakeha 13%, Pacific 8%, Other ethnicities 29% |
| Service roll | 40 |
| Review team on site | August 2024 |
| Date of this report | 11 September 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report (s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, August 2022; Education Review, June 2018 |
ERO’s judgements are based on Te Ara Poutama and the Early Childhood Education Improvement Framework (teacher led services).
Above the threshold for quality | |
Excelling | The service is excelling in the learning and organisation to support high quality education and care for children |
Embedded | The service has embedded its learning and organisational conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education and care for children. |
Below the threshold for quality | |
Working towards | The service is working towards establishing the learning and organisational conditions to support improvements in the quality of education and care for children. |
Improvement required | The service has not yet developed the learning and organisational conditions to support quality education and care for children. |
ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Waiuku Learning Space, formerly known as Young Petals Early Learning Centre, changed ownership in April 2021. The centre director, supported by a head teacher, manages daily operations. There have been recent significant staff changes. A third of the roll is Māori with a small number of Pacific children also attending.
The curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Positive steps are taken to respect the aspirations held by parents and whānau. Teachers engage in meaningful interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
The design and layout of the premises include quiet spaces and areas for physically active play. There is space for a range of individual and group learning experiences appropriate to the number, ages, and abilities of children attending. A policy framework and an annual plan guide centre operations. Teacher appraisal and internal evaluation processes are established.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
30 September 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Waiuku Learning Space |
|
Profile Number |
25390 |
| Location | Waiuku |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
40 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
30 September 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, February 2015 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Young Petals Early Learning Centre, formerly known as Scholars Preschool, is located in Waiuku. In October 2017 the centre changed ownership. It is one of two Young Petal centres in the Franklin area. This privately owned centre provides full-day education and care for children from birth to school age in three age-based areas. The centre is licensed for 34 children, including 12 under the age of two years. At the time of this ERO review its roll of 32 included nine Māori children.
The centre owner undertakes the role of centre manager and is supported by a recently appointed, fully qualified and experienced head teacher to provide professional leadership for staff.
The centre’s philosophy makes a commitment to providing a home away from home that supports a sense of belonging and wellbeing for children and their whānau.
Children benefit from a programme that is increasingly responsive to their strengths and interests. The programme is enhanced by opportunities for children to connect with the local community including the nearby school and library. Transition processes into and between the age-based areas are flexible and well managed. Māori children's language, culture and identity are increasingly acknowledged through teachers' use of te reo Māori, waiata and karakia. Children under two years of age enjoy responsive and nurturing relationships with their teachers. Their care needs are well met and reflect parents' preferences. There are good systems in place to support children with additional learning and health needs.
Individual learning portfolios are easily accessible for children and parents. These provide a well presented record of children’s participation in the programme. Recently introduced portfolio evenings provide an opportunity for parents to discuss their child's progress and development with teachers. Individual learning plans reflect parents' aspirations and the child's emerging interests. Partnerships with parents are further enhanced by centre celebrations and community events.
Teachers provide high levels of care and nurture for children. They effectively use positive guidance strategies to promote children's social competence and self-management. Teachers actively participate alongside children in meaningful play. They model and support the development of children's oral language skills. Teachers naturally integrate early literacy and mathematical concepts through play. Children enjoy learning in an environment that supports their sense of wellbeing and belonging.
The centre manager provides well-informed governance for the centre. She is a fully qualified early childhood teacher. The centre manager has worked with teachers to develop a shared centre philosophy. She has established a comprehensive policy framework to guide centre operations and meet health and safety and other regulatory requirements. Ongoing external guidance has assisted the centre manager to develop a meaningful four year strategic plan. The head teacher is well respected by the teachers and has a particular strength in te ao Māori. The centre manager and head teacher work effectively together and are establishing a cohesive teaching team, committed to enacting the centre's philosophy.
A useful framework to support the development of effective self-review practices has been implemented. Leaders and teachers undertake both spontaneous and planned self reviews that contribute to ongoing improvement. Engagement in comprehensive professional development is supporting leaders and teachers' knowledge of in-depth self review and the implications of the revised New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki.
Priority should be given to further developing leadership for learning focused on building teacher capability particularly in the areas of:
assessment, planning and evaluation
adding complexity to children’s learning
implementing bicultural practices.
The centre manager needs to implement a planned approach to the development of the learning environment with a focus on increasing children’s access to a wider range of high-quality resources and equipment.
The centre manager should access external professional development and support to strengthen leadership for learning in the centre.
Before the review, the staff and management of Young Petals Early Learning Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Young Petals Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
20 June 2018
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Waiuku |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25390 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
34 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
32 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 18 Girls 14 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
20 June 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
||
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Scholars Preschool Waiuku is a small centre licensed for 34 children from three months to school age. It opened in 2009. Children are provided for in three age-related groups. While each group has its own room and allocated teachers, children of all ages spend time together during parts of the day. This approach enables children and parents to get to know all staff well.
The centre’s philosophy acknowledges the importance of effective relationships with family/whānau. It focuses on providing a high standard of care and supporting children to be confident life-long learners.
The ratio of teachers to children is higher than minimum requirements. There is at least one teacher to four children under two years of age, and one teacher per seven children for those over two years of age. Most teachers are qualified and registered and the others are in training. Most children enrolled at the centre are NZ European/Pākehā. Māori, Pacific, and children of other ethnicities also attend.
The owners have three centres and oversee the running of this centre. In 2013 a new supervisor was appointed from within the staff. She and one of the owners are involved in a professional learning and development programme that focuses on leadership. This professional development, together with centre self review, is providing a strong focus and direction for ongoing centre improvement.
The centre’s previous ERO report in 2012 commented on children being confident and well supported by teachers, who were working effectively in partnership with parents. The report also noted ways in which teaching and learning and management processes could be further improved. The recent professional development on leadership has helped centre managers and the supervisor to establish a strategic approach for achieving these suggested improvements.
Teachers continue to support children’s sense of wellbeing and belonging through positive and supportive interactions. There are good communication processes between parents and teachers. Babies are well cared for and teachers generally follow babies’ home routines with regards to sleeping and feeding patterns.
The centre programme generally allows children to select resources and activities and to develop their own play. Children are confident and older children often participate enthusiastically in organised activities. Children can access appropriately resourced outdoor areas.
There are many opportunities for children to develop early literacy and mathematics skills and knowledge during the programme. Teachers use conversations to develop and reinforce mathematical concepts. Children are encouraged to develop independence and to manage themselves and their belongings. Teachers help children to develop strategies to manage conflict.
Self-review processes are well managed and the supervisor and manager have successfully used self review to develop a relevant strategic plan to guide improvements in the quality of the service provided. Strategic priorities identified for the next three years include goals for strengthening centre:
Strategic goals also focus on embedding self-review knowledge and understanding, and the capacity of staff to review aspects of centre practice continues to increase.
ERO particularly notes the good progress being made in developing a bicultural curriculum. Centre staff have already established an on-going professional relationship with the local iwi, Ngati Kopu. Members of Te Kopu are also guiding them through a programme that teaches te reo and aspects of tikanga Māori, often through waiata and the use of New Zealand sign language.
Progress with planning, assessment and evaluation goals is also evident. Teachers are exploring ways to plan individual learning pathways for children that recognise their emerging knowledge, skills, attitudes to learning and their interests. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the assessment and planning processes. Developments with teacher appraisal processes should further contribute to progress in this area.
Key next steps for the centre are to continue to implement strategic goals to:
Part of the strategic planning for 2015 includes a review of the centre philosophy in consultation with parents/whānau and local iwi. Using this consultation process as an opportunity to discuss with families best practice in preparing children for school may be helpful, and should enable staff to work towards reshaping current practices to better reflect those outlined in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Before the review, the staff and management of Scholars Preschool Waiuku completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
To improve practice the centre manager could strengthen the recording of risk management practices for excursions from the centre
The next ERO review of Scholars Preschool Waiuku will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
13 February 2015
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Waiuku, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25390 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
34 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
52 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 31 Boys 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Cook Island Asian Samoan other |
5 37 3 2 2 3 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 February 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2012 |
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.